Master of design process and business of design

Real Estate Weekly, May 25, 2005

Ask anyone in New York City's real estate or interior design industries today, and you will find just how rare it is to come across a corporate space planner who truly understands and executes the design and construction process from a comprehensive perspective--from project management to well thought out layouts and finishes and proper use of furnishings. Rare it may be, but Milo Kleinberg, founder of Milo Kleinberg Design Associates, has been providing this kind of personal, attention to detail since 1959.

Founder of one of the first corporate space planning firms in the Manhattan, Kleinberg had to be an innovator when he opened MKDA. Today, the firm continues in his tradition as a total planning and design resource for relocating corporate and institutional clients. Although MKDA brings expertise in all phases of design and space planning--from pre-construction planning to space design and move-in services--the firm also works with numerous real estate professionals, including project managers and owner's representatives, real estate owners and brokers on behalf of their clients.

According to Catherine T. Giliberti, Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Silverstein Properties, "The word that comes to mind is visionary. Milo has worked with Larry Silverstein and Silverstein Properties for many years. When Larry calls on MKDA, Milo is always right there bringing his wishes into a reality."

Giliberti continued, "MKDA is a dream to work with. They make our job easy, providing expert oversight of all relocation, space planning and design elements through their unique understanding of the entire process, including value engineering, managing construction trades, furniture and finishes selection--even moving coordination. The mix of senior professionals working alongside young talent at MKDA brings a unique perspective to every assignment."

When Kleinberg came to the United States at age 12, he knew little English, but his artistic talent needed no translation and he quickly developed his signature operational style, combining European tradition with American business know-how. During the early days of his career, Kleinberg mastered his professional skills and maintained his belief that "to draft successful architectural plans--one must grasp all facets of the architectural design process--including the various phases of construction as well as interior and exterior design concepts--in essence, to view the entirety of a project in much the same way an engineer might." It is exactly this sense of comprehensive design that has allowed Kleinberg to leave an indelible mark on today's interior design industry.

Kleinberg's commitment to comprehensive architectural and interior design began early in his educational development. Born in Vienna, Milo honed his inherent design savvy under the tutelage of Architect, Max Gerstl during the 12 years he worked there. Gerstl's career began in Prague where he was known as one of the best-known store designers. Throughout Kleinberg's "apprenticeship" in the United States, he learned every aspect of design and detailing, as well as how to manage a business.

Throughout the 1960s, Kleinberg was consistently called upon by Fashion District clients for design advice and became known as an expert in fashion showroom design. Kleinberg is proud to share a story about offering his expertise to then-owners of 1411 Broadway, Swig, Weiler & Arno. Kleinberg was called in as an advisor to determine how to turn 1411 Broadway into a garment showroom building that included the use of a portion of the space for sewing machines. The New York City Buildings Department was leery of this as it seemed to make it a manufacturing building, something its certificate of occupancy did not allow. He assured the department that the need for the sewing machines was intended purely for sample making and nothing else. It was approved as such and his strategy became critical to the building's success in the Garment District.

Another challenging design project was at 100 West 33rd Street, the Childrenswear Building, and the former Gimbel's Building. When owner Larry Silverstein contacted Kleinberg about his building, the 8th through 11th floors had been designated as showroom space for Childrenswear tenants, while the rest of the building was slated for indoor mall. "The 8th through 11th floors were designed with a raised floor to accommodate the dot-corn industry, however in the end, management realized that it might not be a good idea to rely on that industry and decided to market the space to childrenswear tenants. Milo showed how the raised floor could prove beneficial to showroom tenants, allowing for the use of floor outlets for sewing machines and other equipment without having to chop the slab. In the end, through the help of MKDA, spaces were leased quickly as they were involved in the design of much of the spaces in the building.

In the early 1970's, Milo Kleinberg honed his expertise in showroom design as he was hired to plan out spaces for numerous firms including Leslie Faye, Jones New York, Bobby Brooks, Jonathan Logan, and today the firm continues to serve the fashion industry, including stores for Shanghai Tang, Missoni, Ascott Chang, Caron Perfume, Judith Leiber, Patek Philippe, H. Stern, Donna Ricco, Carter's, Andrew Marc, Weatherproof, among numerous others.